<p>I have two great choices: Dartmouth and Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Right now I think I want to go into international relations but I'm not sure if going to the SFS school at Georgetown will box me in if I change my mind. Also, I feel like Dartmouth has a better reputation since it is an Ivy. However, Georgetown is in DC and therefore offers a lot of opporutunities. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!</p>
<p>The Dartmouth international relations program is extremely strong. The faculty is outstanding, and the department’s resources are extensive, to say the least. Also consider Dartmouth’s study abroad program, which is the largest of the ivies and the 6th largest in the country. At Dartmouth, you’ll definitely have the opportunity to study in the country of your choosing. (I mean, hell, Dartmouth has sent people to Somalia. If the school can get you to Somalia, it can get you anywhere.) As for internships, I wouldn’t worry about them at all. You can easily get them over the summer, and the D-Plan will help you get the most renowned ones because there will be virtually no competition for them.</p>
<p>I think a crucial thing to remember – which you are doing – is that if you change your mind, Dartmouth is definitely the stronger school. If you’re not 100% set on IR, you should absolutely come to Dartmouth. (Even if you are set on IR, I still think you should come to Dartmouth for the undergraduate experience.) Do know that Dartmouth will provide a springboard to any career, graduate school, etc. of your choosing. That’s not necessarily true at Georgetown. For example, it’s quite difficult to get a job in investment banking from Georgetown, while it is fairly easy to do so from Dartmouth. </p>
<p>You should visit both schools, and see where you think you’ll fit in better. You seem like a thoughtful person, so I’m confident you’ll make the right decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! Your advice is really helpful :-)</p>
<p>Georgetown SFS trumps all for International Relations (save for maybe Columbia), but if you’re not 100% sure on pursuing the field, I would highly recommend looking at your other options, as I do not believe Georgetown’s other departments are nearly as strong.</p>
<p>The Foreign Policy Magazine ranking of undergraduate IR programs are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>University of Chicago</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>Berkeley</li>
</ol>
<p>So the difference in strength of the IR programs is minimal. SFS will be much larger in scope, but you will get a more LACy and overall better undergraduate experience at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Congrats on both!
I was actually making the same choice the past few weeks except to Gtown’s college not SFS (although I was strongly considering transferring to SFS if I went to Gtown).
I agree with the difference in IR programs being more or less minimal.
If I were you I’d get to both campuses (to the accepted days if you can manage since I know that the 2nd Gtown accepted day is the same as Dartmouth’s only). See what fits you.
Personally I loved Gtown’s campus but it would have been too distracting for me so I’m heading north to Dartmouth where I can concentrate better. Do you want a small, undergraduate focused, LAC feel? Or something bigger, cityish, and more open?
That’s really the question I think.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that you would have a problem concentrating at either school. I would base my decision here on the strength of not only the program, but also that of the school itself. Dartmouth is ranked so highly because all of its students benefit from superior internship and job placement, and you’ll be surrounded by an extremely high caliber of student. The Dickey Foundation provides tons of money to people who want to work abroad, and there is a lot of opportunity to cross-list programs. Having graduated from Dartmouth- I now see that I have an upper-hand by coming from a school that is so highly-ranked. Nobody ever asks what I studied (including employers)- they just ask about where I went to school.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is your best bet, especially as an undergrad. SFS would be an excellent graduate program in the future if you want to go to both</p>